We’ve spoken to a few long-term users of AccountancyManager (AM) recently. So this week, we’re shifting our focus onto newcomers, with Yorkshire-based practice: SAS Senior Accounting Services. AM’s Marcus Bellis caught up with owner, Samantha Senior, stealing half an hour from her exceedingly busy schedule.

Meet Samantha and her practice of many sides

Samantha started her practice 16 years ago. Since then, she’s diversified into niche markets, creating specialised branches of her practice. The first branch combined Sam’s 20-something years’ experience in accountancy with a talent for matching candidates with the right accountancy roles, enabling Sam to offer a full accountancy recruitment division. In the last five years, Sam has set up the second branch of SAS Senior Accounting Services, specialising in the aesthetics industry. This branch has recently become its very own company – The Aesthetics Accountant™.

“I feel like we’re like a brand new practice. We’ve split the accountancy firm and we now have a completely new company which focuses on medical aesthetics.”

The sector has uniquely complex tax and accounting challenges, which Sam guides her clients through at both a compliance and business-advisory level.

The journey from bin bags to the cloud

It’s not just Samantha’s client base that’s changed over the years. Sam has fully embraced developments in technology as they’ve become available, though not everyone has joined her…  Continue reading...

Jim Borrill at D H Tuck & Co recently joined us on a webinar hosted by Dan Cockerton of Digital Accountancy fame. The discussion centred around cloud software and the interactions between them. The following week, our Head of Sales, Marcus caught up with Jim as he took the hot seat for our latest AM in Practice. 

Rising from work experience to third in command

D H Tuck & Co is a small, family-run firm in Cleethorpes on the UK’s east coast – the practice celebrated their 20th birthday last year. 10 years ago, age 16, Jim Borrill did his work experience placement at D H Tuck & Co and has been there ever since. In fact, he joined the ranks the same week he received his GCSEs. Fully qualified as of August 2019, Jim is now welcoming new apprentices himself, regaling them with stories of his career beginnings. 

The switch from Sage to AccountancyManager

Now in his mid twenties, Jim is a prime example of the millennial generation bringing a more digital mindset into accountancy. With new business owners decreasing in age too, he also represents the demographic of a growing number of clients.

“We had the full Sage suite but it didn’t really scream ‘modern technology’.”

Recognising Jim’s natural talent for technology, David Tuck and Andrew Moorby – the founder and managing director of D H Tuck & Co respectively – rely on Jim to provide software consultancy both within the practice and among their customers. Jim is also the go-to guy for newly forming businesses and the practice’s own marketing. Continue reading...

We’re taking a closer look at AccountancyManager in action. Last week we grilled Zia Tahir at Spherical Accountants in Hackney. This week we travel south (and inadvertently stick with the theme of geometric shapes) to Diamond Outsourcing. 

Bal and Sam have been friends since childhood. Both choosing careers in accountancy, Sam opted for the practice route while Bal went into industry. Then, in 2016 – both searching for more than their current roles could offer – decided to go into business together.

Sam: “I’d been in practice for around twelve years. I got fed up with working for other people. I mean, I was always in control of my own client base, but I wasn’t really seeing the rewards and wanted to be able to accomplish bigger things.”

Bal: “Industry and commerce. It’s a very corporate type of lifestyle, very structured and regimented. Being in practice, being in control of your own destiny, it’s more rewarding. There’s no cap on how far you can go. But there’s also an element of helping people as well. It’s quite rewarding when a client comes in and has no idea about tax, they’ve got these letters from HMRC and they’re scared and worried. It’s nice just to give them that peace of mind and help them sort out their problems.” Continue reading...

We’re taking a look at AccountancyManager ‘out in the wild’ – AM in the hands of the accountants and bookkeepers that use it day in, day out. 

“It’s great to see people come onboard with AccountancyManager, but I get far more satisfaction hearing about how those same people make AM work within their practice.”

Marcus Bellis, Head of Sales at AccountancyManager

Zia Tahir at Spherical Accountants spoke to Marcus Bellis, AM’s Head of Sales, about life with AM.

Meet Zia Tahir: Managing Director of Spherical Accountants – London

Zia’s father had big ideas for his son, “He was very impressed with doctors”, says Zia, “and he pushed me towards it, which obviously failed!” Zia had big ideas of his own. “I always wanted to do something with numbers. My initial thought was MBA in finance, but after consulting a few people, realised a better option was a proper accountancy qualification.”

Starting out in the accounts department in a food supply business, Zia quickly became tired of the monotony, “Paying suppliers, payroll, financial reporting…” The only option Zia could see to escape from the repetition (a deep-seated desire which would lead him to AccountancyManager) was to go into business for himself. Spherical Accountants was born.

Now, Zia’s daily routine is different every day. “Each and every client is different. Their requirements are different, their situations are different. Dealing with them on a daily basis is what drives me to wake up every morning.” Continue reading...

Recently, Liston (on our support team) shared a great result with us. Mark Francis, from Francis Bookkeeping Solutions Ltd, had casually mentioned that he’d doubled his client base by using AccountancyManager. Hold the phone. We said: We feel a case study coming on.

AM’s CEO James Byrne caught up with Mark and discussed, among other things, opinionated mothers, IRIS OpenSpace and what Mark’s problem is with farmers…

From a newspaper ad to striking out on his own

Travel back with us to Barnard Castle, circa 2003. A picturesque market town, 30 minutes from Durham – now with an infamous Specsavers (circa 2020). There, 18-year-old Mark Francis is in disagreement with his mum. He fancies a year out, then a degree in Print Journalism. She would rather he get a job, sharpish.

The first job Mark finds is for a local accountancy firm and just like that, he finds his calling. He completes his AAT and stays at the firm for the next 15 years. 

A creative mind – blessing or curse?

Speed forward to 2018 and Mark’s creative side has crept out. He’s the firm’s expert on software and responsible for all marketing – on top of his accountancy duties. But while the world had raced to adopt new technology, Mark faced reticence at his firm.

“Everywhere I turned, I was facing opposition. ‘Why are you trying to change things?’ No one likes change.”  Continue reading...

Finding time to properly focus on clients and grow the business is an ongoing challenge for firms big and small. Never more so than over the last few months. 

Matt McConnell – co-owner of Certax Accounting in Durham – should be struggling more than most. He and his partner, Jonathan Tait, are running a 32-strong practice, supporting over 1000 clients, studying for their Chartered Accountancy exams and have just processed 650 furlough claims, for free. Matt’s wife, a receptionist at his firm, is currently furloughed and looking after their young twins at home – arguably busier than Matt. 

So how, under these circumstances, is Matt’s practice saving more than 150 hours a month? When Matt made this claim in our recent live panel discussion, we jumped on a Zoom call to find out.

James Byrne (left) and Matt McConnell.

Sixth Form drop-out to business owner at 22

Matt’s journey began with a love of maths at school, rapidly followed by a hatred of maths at sixth form. Dropping out of his A-levels, he got an apprenticeship at a small accountancy practice. “It was a fairly young, forward-thinking firm in the North East and I just really enjoyed it. I did my AAT level four with them, then at the start of my second year, I got the opportunity to start my own business.” 

When the firm closed and sold their clientbase, Matt and Jonathan got their heads together, took over 100 clients and bought into the Certax franchise. Continue reading...

First, a little history (don’t worry, it starts in 2017)

In 2017, James Byrne – AccountancyManager CEO – was a practicing accountant with familiar frustrations: Writing repetitive emails and constant reminders. Always reprioritising work according to deadlines and information received from clients. And having no time to spend on developing the practice or giving proactive advice to clients.

Built by an accountant. Shaped by thousands more.

So, James and software developer, Alex Hawke, built a system to automate his practice’s most time-consuming tasks. Turns out it was a good idea. Now we have thousands of accountants (and their frustrations) helping us design the future of AccountancyManager. 

One such accountant is Barry Adams, Director at Focus Accountancy Ltd in Bristol.

Be careful what you tweet…

In the lead up to the UK’s coronavirus lockdown, Barry tweeted that AccountancyManager was helping him and his team stay connected and on top of their work. Our ears naturally pricked up and we found time in Barry’s busy schedule for a Zoom meeting – and a few questions.

Focus Accountancy – where the focus is on you

Focus Accountancy specialise in accountancy services for the contractor, consultant and freelancer market. However, Barry adds (somewhat proudly) that some of his clients have become directors of small to medium enterprises and employers themselves. One in particular generating an annual turnover in the millions. Not bad for a practice that began as Barry’s spare-time hobby 13 years ago. Continue reading...

We’ve taken a break from reporting on the coronavirus to have a chat with one of AccountancyManager’s oldest clients (in terms of her use of AccountancyManager, not her age). Lucy Drake started her accountancy career at 16 and is now owner of Southampton-based practice Hassle Free Accounts and Tax.

“I spend less time on onboarding clients, now initial meetings with them are more about getting to know them as people.”

We spoke to Lucy about her practice and her experience of using AccountancyManager to build her firm. Lucy didn’t hold back in her commendations – or recommendations! And had some good advice for anyone considering cloud-based practice management software. Thanks for your time Lucy.

AM: What made you go into accounting?

LD: I joined an accounting firm – Rothmans Accountants in Southampton – through an apprenticeship at 16. I liked working with numbers and was bright at school so wanted a professional career without having to go to university.

AM: What do you enjoy most about your accountancy career?

LD: I like the flexibility of the job (especially since I have become self-employed). I also like being able to solve problems for clients and helping new businesses succeed. 

AM: What have been your biggest challenges? 

LD: Not getting too stressed about your clients’ problems! Sometimes they’ve gotten themselves in a mess so you can be working to tight deadlines or dealing with incomplete information.   Continue reading...